INCIDENT ACTION PLAN
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Local Response Final Four: 4/4/2026
Confidential – Law Enforcement Sensitive
This document has been produced by the University of Illinois Police Department for the purpose of public safety special event management. Dissemination of this document beyond the intended recipient is prohibited.
Event: Coordinated response to local celebrations. NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Date: 4/4/2026
Time: 1630 Briefing
Location: Primary – University of Illinois property and assets. Secondary – Assist neighboring jurisdictions as needed.
Purpose
The University of Illinois Men’s Basketball team has advanced to the NCAA Final Four. Local authorities are coordinating to prevent celebratory violence in response to team performance. Basketball games are played off site at locations determined by the NCAA. DPS and partners are planning for local response. No actionable intelligence points to specific threats; however, additional assets and planning are being detailed to minimize the potential for incidents or disruption.
Mission
The University of Illinois Police Department supports the right of every American to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
The command and execution of this Operations Order is not intended to restrict the appropriate action by law enforcement in the event of a critical incident or incident related to violence or the potential for violence. The University of Illinois Police Department’s mission is not to arrest every law violator; but instead, to assist with disorderly individuals, in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Personnel will also respond to potential areas of unrest or violence in order to discourage/address ongoing criminal behavior. Personnel will take immediate action to protect lives and property.
Implementation of Operations Plan
Through robust pre-planning, the University of Illinois Police Department has demonstrated the intent to work collaboratively with members of the community to ensure a safe and secure operational period on each event. Prior to the operations briefing, all police command will receive a copy of this order.
Event Contact Information
No specific organizers or groups identified at this time.
Muster/Staging Location
- Combined briefing at IFSI at 1630
- Patrol Briefing at 1600 at Post-I
- Sworn assigned staff will report to assigned squad locations and be briefed by area supervisors
- Region 7 Mobile Field Force will report to briefing and detailed secondary briefing as necessary
- Additional staging areas may be identified, as needed, by the shift supervisor, command post or EOC personnel to deal with specific, ongoing incidents.
- Staging for incoming additional assets, when requested, will be identified by type and will respond directly to the affected area or a secondary staging location identified by Incident Command
- Primary Staging: University of Illinois Lot E-14
- Secondary Staging: ILEAS
- Region 7 Mobile Field Force Staging: IFSI
Equipment Needed
- Appropriate duty uniform
- Body Worn Camera
- Uniformed officers shall wear their ballistic vest and have access to riot helmet, Gas Mask and additionally identified protective gear
- Region 7 Mobile Field Force – As assigned by unit commander
- Non-Local officers will be assigned radios for interoperability
Pre-Operations Planning
The University of Illinois Police Department at the direction of the Chief of Police have directed staff to complete pre-operations planning. This planning has included the following:
- Notifications to a. City of Champaign Police Department b. City of Urbana Police Department c. Champaign County Sheriff’s Department d. Parkland Police Department e. Mahomet Police Department f. UFD and CFD g. ILEAS Region 7 Mobile Field Force h. ISP i. Illinois Statewide Intel Center (STIC) j. University of Illinois Dean of Students
- Review of current and planned weather conditions.
- All security technology in place to be monitored by Real Time Information Center Personnel
- Briefing is planned as necessary
- Body Worn Cameras must be worn by detail personnel if issued.
Campus Demonstration and Protest Policy
Activities which are not in violation of law and which do not disrupt the operation of the University nor interfere with the rights of others are permitted. Conduct that will not be tolerated under any circumstance, including during demonstrations and protests:
- Conduct that threatens the health or safety of any person
- The use of force or violence, actual or threatened, to willfully deny, impede, obstruct, impair, or interfere with the freedom of movement of any person, including entering or leaving property or facilities
- Knowingly occupying or remaining in or at any property or facility owned or controlled by the University after receiving due notice to depart
- Participation in a disruptive or coercive demonstration that substantially interferes with the rights of others
Unlawful Assemblies
- As stated in the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the right of persons to peaceably assemble shall not be infringed. This should be the standard by which we judge all our actions when responding to groups of people who are demonstrating.
- The only time action should be taken on the part of the police department to respond to persons exercising their first amendment right to assemble is when the assembly becomes unlawful.
- What makes an unlawful assembly? There is no clear legal definition codified in Illinois law. Generally speaking, an assembly becomes unlawful when members of the assembly begin committing criminal activity that endangers the health and safety of others. This includes actions such as assault, battery, criminal damage to property, mob action, arson, throwing objects or missiles, and inciting a riot.
- While there are minor criminal offenses that are, in and of themselves a criminal act, the freedom of assembly should be given great deference when making a decision as to when a lawful assembly becomes an unlawful assembly. Minor offenses might include simply walking in the roadway or jaywalking during an otherwise peaceful protest. These minor offenses should not be the only consideration when making the decision as to whether or not an assembly is lawful or unlawful. A totality of circumstances present should be used when making this decision.
- It will not be the policy of UIPD to interfere in peaceable demonstrations. Riots and Unlawful Assemblies are not considered peaceable demonstrations.
- Should Incident Command declare an unlawful assembly, all personnel will move to designated Rally Points and don crowd control apparel and await further direction.
- The decision to declare an unlawful assembly will be made only by an Incident Commander or Command Officer with UIPD or the designated supervisor. Once that decision has been made, a dispersal command will be issued. The command will state the following:
I am (Rank and Name), a police officer with the University of Illinois Police Department. I am declaring this to be an unlawful assembly, which has alarmed and disturbed others. You are disturbing the public peace without the authority of law.
Continuing to participate in this assembly will result in your arrest and prosecution for violations of the criminal code. You are being ordered to immediately disperse. Failure to comply could result in chemical and or less lethal munitions being deployed. You are directed to leave the area.
- This order should be given over a loudspeaker twice and allow subjects time and safe avenues to leave the area. If possible, have an officer record the command from the back of the assembly (thereby proving that the command could be heard by the entire crowd). At least 5 minutes should be given before further escalation unless emergency circumstances dictate otherwise. If feasible, all commands should be documented through METCAD in order to accurately record times to the dispatch ticket for future preservation. It is possible that in cases of immediate or imminent threat of great bodily harm or death to others, that all of these considerations may not be met before deploying chemical munitions.
Rules of Engagement (ROE)
Our goal is to aid in peaceful events, ensuring that all parties are allowed to express their constitutional rights, while maintaining site safety and security for all persons and property. If a participant is violent towards an officer or another person, arrest should not take place unless tactically advantageous or directed by the Command Post. The overall ROE are that chemical munitions and impact type weapons should not be utilized unless life/limb safety is threatened, or a critical infrastructure faces a threat deemed egregious.
Criminal Damage to Property: Property damage will be dealt with on a case by case basis and addressed accordingly, dependent upon the number of offenders and available resources needed to effect an arrest. Unless officers are effectively able to facilitate an arrest, these incidents will be surveilled and/or video recorded for later prosecution. It is not the intent to push the tactical envelope for non-critical infrastructures or property, nor make arrests. Minor criminal damage can be investigated at a later date. Any damage that would leave a facility open to further issues should be remedied.
Demonstrations on streets and road closures: UIPD may facilitate peaceful and lawful marches. Road closures and disruption to public transit may occur. The University of Illinois Police may coordinate traffic related issues with both Champaign and Urbana Police Departments, if possible. Due to previous experiences in which large groups of demonstrators have taken unknown routes, UIPD may not be capable of providing traffic control for those types of events.
Individuals Setting Fires/Arson: Personnel will provide support to CFD/UFD in the event they need to respond to a fire related event, however, recognize they will not enter an unsecure volatile/violent area to suppress fires. Small fires that are present within the secure area will be addressed by uniformed personnel with appropriate equipment and documented.
Locations that have been identified as critical infrastructures will be allowed to have chemical and impact munitions deployed to disperse or disrupt those that are committing serious criminal acts that may endanger the integrity of the building. This is due to the sensitivity of the building, chemical/nuclear spill potential, or the potential for toxic gases to ignite, creating a hazardous materials release. This list is not all inclusive:
- UIPD 1110 W. Springfield, Urbana
- Holonyak Micro lab – 208 N. Wright, Urbana
- Roger Adams Lab – 600 S. Matthews Ave., Urbana
- Coordinated Science Lab – 1308 W. Main, Urbana
- Chemical Life Sciences – 600 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
- Noyes – 505 S. Matthews Ave., Urbana
- Burrill Hall – 407 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
- Morrill Hall – 505 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
- Vet Med – 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana
- Special Materials Storage Facility – 2006 S. Griffith Drive, Champaign
- Residence Halls/Housing
- Other areas deemed by the Command Post to house dangerous chemicals.
Shots Fired/Active Shooter: Shooting incidents will be handled as trained and will take into account priority of life concepts.
Medical Aid: University of Illinois Police will work closely with Carle and OSF by providing escorts when necessary to reach any individual requiring medical aid. Carle has been notified of the potential for CS/Exposures. EMS will operate under normal protocols.
Multi-Jurisdictional Response: Recognizing there is no specific intel, time, or location for any type of Civil Unrest; the detail has been staffed with the maximum number of available units. In the event that a civil unrest incident is declared, DPS will rely on support from surrounding and state agencies for ongoing operations and continuity until the incident resolves.
Use of Chemical Munitions: The use of chemical munitions to address law enforcement problems will only be approved for serious threats to life that cannot be addressed by other law enforcement means. The use of hand thrown OC grenades of any size will be not allowed under normal circumstances. The use of OC stream canisters should be carefully considered against the need, crowd size, and goal. The use of pepper ball munitions and or Taser devices should be considered before any area effect or fog OC is deployed. Officers will not use OC devices to prevent criminal damage, theft, or burglary unless directed by command post or in directed, controlled attempts to restore order following the declaration of civil disorder.
Unless the severity of the situation dictates otherwise, chemical and/or less lethal munitions shall not be used unless approved by the Command Officer in Charge, life and/or great bodily harm is threatened, or the identified critical infrastructures are at risk.
Event Timeline
April 4th – Illinois v. UConn Tip Off 1709
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1600 | Patrol Shift Officers Report for Briefing at Post-I |
| 1630 | Officers report to IFSI for combined briefing / EOC Reports |
| 1709 | Game begins |
| 1715 | Officers report to posts. Secondary briefing with supervisors. Command Post Active. EOC: Warm |
| 1915 | Estimated game ending |
| 1949 | Arizona v. Michigan Starts |
| 2100 | Officers released by Command Post in stages |
Command Post
A command post will be established at 1110 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana.
An emergency operations center will be available to be established at the Department of Public Safety EOC, located in the Advanced Computations Building at 1011 W. Springfield Ave, Urbana. Should the incident grow beyond the capacity of the command post the EOC will be activated to support the broadened incident. (E.g. Declaration of Civil Unrest, Burglary/Looting of two or more businesses in the restricted area, Mass Casualty Incident). In the event of civil unrest or other major law enforcement response, representatives from area agencies and community stakeholders should report to this location following notification. It shall be the responsibility of the EOC to issue all public alerts (Illini Alert/CSN) during the incident.
The Division of Public Safety Real Time Information Center will remain active in support of the incident command post and the EOC if necessary.
Command and control standards recognize that based on the unplanned event, staffing and needs of the event, the Supervisor in Charge may be staffed at any rank level. Change of command will be clearly articulated and documented. If mutual aid is requested; all responding agencies will be briefed when possible on this operations order and staged in the staging area.
Staging
A resource staging location for exterior resources has been established at UI lot E-14 (1802 S. Oak Street, Champaign). Staging will be for detail resources of CCSO Corrections transportation vans and exterior resources if necessary.
In order to work cooperatively with local media resources, the Division of Public Safety has identified two media staging areas. The Circle Drive of the Illini Union to the East and the southwest corner of the intersection of First and Green to the west. Media personnel in these areas will be assisted by assigned law enforcement squads. Media personnel not in these areas will not be monitored. Media staging in these areas will be required to contact the DPS PIO to coordinate information.
Concept of Operations
Uniformed personnel will set the tone for an orderly event through officer presence and observation. Uniformed personnel will monitor for public safety issues throughout the event and immediately address dangerous behavior (e.g. climbing structures, dangerous consumption of alcohol, crowd crush events, vehicle entry/exit to the secure zone, and fires). Nuisance/City Ordinance violation should be addressed immediately. Open alcohol should be confiscated and dumped out. Arrests will be made for serious public safety situations such as crimes against persons, burglary, and the setting of any fires. Any fires identified will be extinguished by available means and fire officials will be made aware.
Any pattern of behavior deemed to classify the event an unlawful assembly will be relayed to operational personnel by the incident commander. Personnel will reply with their understanding of the change in situation. Actions to address this situation will not be taken until the incident commander has given proper notice (as per the instructions provided in Rules of Engagement section). This order is not meant to preclude necessary action needed to address imminent issues of major safety concerns. Uniformed staff on ground will report to their designated rally point and Region 7 Mobile Field Force Teams will lead street clearance and/or mass arrest protocols. Should additional resources be needed the EOC will contact Illinois State Police.
Restricted Zone in Effect
Uniformed officers will be directed to allow for a “Restricted Zone” during the event. Officers will use provided barricades to create a vehicle restricted zone to ensure the safety of any participants who enter and remain in the street. The restricted zone will be placed into effect if crowds attempt to take the street and interrupt the flow of traffic. UIPD cannot maintain all traffic within this area to include private apartments, driveways, and businesses, however the goal should remain to shut down main entries to the restricted area to reduce the opportunity for pedestrian and vehicular conflict. Sector command officers should prepare to adjust the restricted zone if the celebration moves from the anticipated area of Green Street. Secondary potential for mass street take over includes the 400 – 600 South First Street.
Dispatching Coordination
DPS will have a dedicated METCAD dispatcher within the Command Post to coordinate calls for service. On shift UIPD patrol units will cover all calls for service outside of the detail immediate area. Detail units will cover all calls within the immediate area as feasible. If crimes against persons occur within residential spaces within the immediate area, command post will advise the assigned unit in coordination with METCAD or the closest available unit will respond. Both detail and patrol units will remain available and hold non-priority calls for service until the event has dissolved.
Pre-Event Shift Responsibilities
UIPD supervisors assigned to patrol or support functions should coordinate prior to the event detail to identify any objects of opportunity that may cause issues during civil disorder. These units should work independently and directly with local business, construction sites, and City functions to reduce or eliminate items that may be used against law enforcement or as opportunities to enhance celebratory violence. This may include:
- Relocating unlawfully parked cars
- Ordering businesses to secure exterior furnishings
- Ordering residential facilities to secure balcony/rooftop/furnishing
- Ordering dumpsters to be emptied
- Removing or securing trash cans, roadside signs or any other item that could be used to break windows or as a weapon
Coordination with City of Champaign Liquor Commissioner
In coordination with the City of Champaign Liquor Commissioner, restrictions have been requested regarding alcohol sales for the game dates and times. These restrictions include campus area bars and liquor stores. Restrictions include:
- Bars in campus area must serve alcohol in plastic, paper and aluminum containers starting at 1500 on 4/4
- Packaged liquor sales halted at 1830 – 2130 on 4/4
- To go liquor sales halted at 1830 on 4/4
Organization of Units
To aid in communication and response law enforcement will be divided into approximately seven squads, divided geographically by intersection. Squads should remain intact if reassigned. Due to the nature of crowds, units should expect to move and relocate at direction of command or in nature with the crowds. Though the affected area is believed to be the Green Street area, it is very likely that crowds could take intersections north and south of the 100 block of East Green Street as opposed to east toward the Main Quad.
Three Areas, each under the command of a UIPD Lieutenant on the ground have been designated.
Command 1 – Briggs #299
Squad 1: 100 E. Green
Squad 2: 200 E. Green
Traffic Support: First/John and First/Healey
Command 2 – Ahart #278
Squad 3: 300 E. Green
Squad 4: 400 E. Green
Squad 5: 500 E. Green
Squad 6: 600 E. Green
Command 3 – Park #270
Squad 7: Wright and Green
Squad 8: Alma Mater
Squad 9: Green/Matthews
Squad assignments are designed to manage the entirety of the intersection and manage within their 100 block. Each squad is assigned one supervisor and multiple officers. The supervisor should be the primary means of communication with incident command and other area supervisors.
Region 7 Mobile Field Force Officers have been assigned to assist uniformed officers near the restricted zone. Region 7 MFF officers are assigned in two response teams. Region 7 Mobile Field Force Officers have staged a Platoon to engage in street clearance protocols if deemed necessary. MFF units will remain staged as available respond after EOC and Command Post arrange for transport. Coordination of this unit and detail units will be directed by Command Post.
EOD will operate a dedicated unit of two bomb technicians to respond to incidents and make evaluations. The unit will be activated in whole if a larger response is determined necessary.
Arrests and Detentions
During the event, personnel should only make custodial arrests for life/safety crimes or crimes against persons. Much of the activity deserving processing for Civil Ordinance Violations can be documented with Body Worn Camera Video, the suspect can be identified and located at a later date for follow-up and prosecution. If arrests must be made, the sector supervisor will approve of the arrest, ensure the details are documented thoroughly and call for a unit to transport. If operationally secure, the CCSO transport van can be requested to leave staging and respond to the arrest location for pick up. If operationally infeasible, shift units or detail units with approved vehicles will transport the arrestee to staging to transfer custody to CCSO Corrections. Following issuance of AWOW, detail unit will return to assigned Post.
If mass arrests are planned or take place, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office will aid in transporting detainees from a common processing point to detention.
Break Space
DPS will operate a space that will be available for teams, at supervisor discretion, to quickly break and use facilities. This will be located at 505 E. Green Street in DPS' annex building. CSO’s will manage this space and control access.
sUAS
UI Lt. Robert Benoit will provide drone support for EOC and Command Post personnel if necessary. The University of Illinois Police intends to responding to calls for service and monitoring excessive crowd behavior with aerial assets.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four – Summary Sheet
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | April 4th |
| Time | 1630 |
| Location | Campustown: Alma Mater, 600/700 S. 1st, 50–600 E. Green Street, Main Quad |
| Information | Illinois Men’s Basketball will play UConn in the NCAA basketball tournament. Local officials have prepared to respond to potential celebratory violence or mass crowds at the conclusion of the game. Big10 law enforcement peers have reported similar crowd gathers following major tournament or game victories and Illinois experienced similar crowd behavior during past events. |
Contact Information
| Position | Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Chancellor’s Office Representative | Kristen McMurray | As Needed |
| Dean of Students | Stephen Bryan | As Needed |
| UIPD Incident Command | Cpt. Jason Bradley | Command Post |
| Department of Athletics | TBD | |
| Media Relations | Allison Copenbarger Vance | As Needed |
| DPS Public Information Officer | Abbigail Reisner | As Needed |
| Champaign Police | Lt. Ben Newell | Command Post |
| Champaign County Sheriff’s Office | Cpt. Dave Sherrick | Command Post |
| Champaign County Sheriff’s Office | Lt. Curt Apperson | EOC |
| Urbana Police | Lt. Cortez Gardner | As Needed |
| Illinois State Police | A/Lt. Salma Cruise | As Needed |
| ILEAS Mobile Field Force | DC John Brown | Command Post |
| Champaign Fire Department | Tyler Funk | EOC |
| Champaign Fire Department | Jason Rector | Command Post |
| Urbana Fire Department | Tal Pendergast | EOC |
| UI Facilities and Services | Steve Bainbridge | EOC |
| CUMTD | Jay Rank | EOC |
| METCAD | Jen Frost | EOC |
| Public Safety EOC | DC Timothy Hetrick | EOC |
| Public Safety EOC | Cpt. Barbara Robbins | EOC |
| UI Emergency Management | Brian Brauer | EOC |
| Champaign County EMA | John Dwyer | Staging |
Identified Locations
| Location | Address |
|---|---|
| Command Post | Division of Public Safety, 1110 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana – 2nd Floor |
| Briefing | IFSI |
| Primary Staging | Parking Lot E-14: 50 E. Kirby, Champaign |
| Secondary Staging | ILEAS 1701 E. Main, Urbana. Staging Officer TBD. |
| Rally Point – Command 1 | Scott Park South |
| Rally Point – Command 2 | Parking Garage C7 |
| Rally Point – Command 3 | East Lot/Harker Hall |
| DPS Equipment Staging | Squads should put Helmets/Gas Masks in assigned vehicle |
| Media Staging West | SW corner 100 E. Green |
| Media Staging East | Illini Union Circle Drive |
| Fire Department Staging | As directed by Fire command |
| Ambulance Staging | As directed by EMS command |
Equipment Needed
| Assignment | Needed |
|---|---|
| Uniformed Personnel | Standard uniform. Baton. Helmet. Gas Mask. |
| Region 7 Mobile Field Force | Assigned equipment, ILEAS Uniform, radio |
Objectives
- Ensure Safety of Participants
- Ensure individuals are guaranteed right of free expression
- Ensure safety of area property
- Immediately address major incident, safety issue, and property destruction
- Address minor issues only at command direction or approval
Radio Assignments
| Assignment | Channel |
|---|---|
| Detail Units | Incident 8 |
| Detail Unit – Talk Around | Incident 7 |
| Patrol Response/Urbana Police | Patrol 3 |
| CCSO Primary | Patrol 2 |
| Champaign Primary | Patrol 1 |
| Fire/EMS | As assigned |
Command Post Personnel
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Incident Command | Bradley |
| CPD Command | Newell |
| CCSO Command | Herrig |
| CFD Command | Jessup |
| UPD Command | Gardner |
| Real Time Information | Costa |
| METCAD | Hardcastle |
| Arrow Ambulance | |
| Region 7 MFF | DC John Brown |
Primary Staging
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Staging Officer | Assigned as Necessary |
| Champaign County EMA | Dwyer |
| CCSO – Corrections | Lt. Josh Sapp |
EOC Group
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| UIPD Command | Hetrick |
| UIPD | Robbins |
| UI Emergency Management | Brauer |
| UI Facilities | Bainbridge |
| CPD | Manzana/Lamberson |
| sUAS | Benoit |
| Real Time Information | J. Clark |
| MTD | Jay Rank |
| CFD | Tyler Funk |
| UFD | Tal Pendergast |
| CPD | Greg Manzana |
| CCSO | Curt Apperson |
| UI Strategic Communications | |
| Champaign Public Works | |
| UI Dean of Students Office | |
| UI Chancellor’s Office | |
| PIO | Abbigail Kepp |
Maps
Restricted Vehicle Zone: Locust/Green, Champaign to Matthews Ave, Urbana
Rally Points:
- Command 1: Scott Park
- Command 2: UI Lot C-7
- Command 3: Parking lot East of Harker Hall
Command Post: 1110 W. Springfield
Media Staging:
- West: First and Green (Responsibility of Squad 1)
- East: Illini Union Circle Drive (Responsibility of Squad 9)
Primary Staging: UI Lot E-14, 1802 S. Oak, Champaign
Confidential – Law Enforcement Sensitive